– Darcy Michael headlines the first of three CraveTV original stand-up specials in partnership with Just For Laughs –
– DEBRA DIGIOVANNI: HERE’S THE THING and GRAHAM CHITTENDEN: RELUCTANT ADULT follow later this spring –

February 21, 2018

“…then there’s our generation. One day I’m going to have to sit my grandkids down and be like, well kids, I met your grand-pappy when I was trolling the internet for sex…and he replied first!” – Darcy Michael
TORONTO (February 21, 2018) – Hilariously irreverent homegrown comedy star Darcy Michael headlines a sermon where no topic, including gay parenting and casual drug use, is too taboo in CraveTV’s first commission of original stand-up comedy, DARCY MICHAEL GOES TO CHURCH. The one-hour special, developed in partnership with Just For Laughs, begins streaming on Friday, March 9 and joins CraveTV’s popular Stand-Up Comedy Collection.

As was announced last September, CraveTV, Just For Laughs, and Counterfeit Pictures have partnered to create three original stand-up specials showcasing some of Canada’s funniest comedy talents. Darcy Michael, Debra DiGiovanni, and Graham Chittenden hit the stage at Toronto’s Berkeley Church during last fall’s JFL42 Festival to tape the one-hour specials which mark CraveTV’s debut original stand-up specials.

“We’re proud to have created the first homegrown comedy specials produced solely for streaming audiences in Canada,” said Mike Cosentino, President, Content and Programming, Bell Media. “Kudos to our partners at Just For Laughs for helping us deliver first-rate comedy content to our subscribers.”

An engaging presence on the Canadian comedy scene for over 10 years, Darcy Michael has 10 national televised comedy galas under his belt, and appeared opposite Dave Foley on the CTV comedy series SPUN OUT. A two-time Canadian Comedy Award-nominee, Darcy has also appeared on The Comedy Network’s MATCH GAME and CBC Radio’s The Debaters.

Following DARCY MICHAEL GOES TO CHURCH, DEBRA DIGIOVANNI: HERE’S THE THING streams in April and features the original cat lady and master of fast-talking comedy as she explains her love of otters, male models, and TV shows about murder, GRAHAM CHITTENDEN: RELUCTANT ADULT follows in May and showcases Chittenden as he hilariously laments the responsibilities of adult life.

DARCY MICHAEL GOES TO CHURCH, DEBRA DIGIOVANNI: HERE’S THE THING, and GRAHAM CHITTENDEN: RELUCTANT ADULT are co-produced by Just For Laughs Television and Counterfeit Pictures, in association with Bell Media’s CraveTV. Executive producers are Bruce Hills from Just For Laughs, as well as Dan Bennett, Shane Corkery, and Anton Leo from Counterfeit Pictures. The specials are directed by Shelagh O’Brien. For Bell Media, production executive is Bill Lundy. Sarah Fowlie is Director, Original Production, Comedy, Bell Media. Corrie Coe is Senior Vice-President, Original Programming, Bell Media. Tracey Pearce is President, Distribution and Pay, Bell Media. Mike Cosentino is President, Content and Programming, Bell Media. Randy Lennox is President, Bell Media.

Social Media links

About CraveTV:Created for TV lovers and devoted to television, CraveTV is Canada’s premium TV streaming service, providing the most robust lineup of superior television content in the country. From TV’s most-acclaimed dramas and beloved comedies to documentaries, music, and factual programming, CraveTV features thousands of hours of premium non-kids TV programming, representing hundreds of unique titles including the entire off-air library and essential past seasons of on-air titles from HBO’s iconic programming catalogue; hundreds of hours of acclaimed SHOWTIME series and specials, which debut on CraveTV day-and-date with SHOWTIME in the U.S.; and new and library content from Starz. CraveTV is available directly to all Canadians with access to the Internet, as well as to customers of Bell Fibe TV, Bell Satellite TV, Bell Aliant FibreOP TV, Bell MTS, Access Communications, Cable Cable, CCAP, Cogeco, Eastlink, Execulink Telecom, Gosfield North, Hay Communications, Mitchell Seaforth Cable TV, Northwestel, NRTC Communications, SaskTel, Shaw, Tbaytel, TELUS Optik TV, Tuckersmith Communications, VMedia, Wightman Telecom, and WTC Communications. Available through traditional set-top boxes, mobile apps on iOS, Android, and Microsoft Windows 8.1 and Xbox One, the web, Apple TV, Chromecast, select Samsung Smart TVs, and Amazon Fire TV. CraveTV is from Bell Media, Canada’s premier multi-media company with more than a decade of leadership delivering Canada’s most-watched and most-acclaimed television programming across the Pay, Specialty, Digital, and Network TV landscapes. For more on CraveTV, visit www.CraveTV.ca.?

About Just For Laughs Television:Just For Laughs Television is one of the world’s leading producers of stand-up comedy and variety programming. JFL’s productions have been seen in Canada on CBC and an array of Bell networks and platforms (The Comedy Network, CTV, CTV2, The Movie Network, HBO Canada, CraveTV and Snackable), and internationally on HBO, FOX, ABC, MTV, Kevin Hart’s LOL Network, TBS, CBC, IFC, W, The CW, RTL, TF1, Comedy Central, Showtime, Hulu, SeeSo, BBC1, BBC America and TEN Australia. Beyond stand-up, the TV franchise Just For Laughs Gags has also become a household name worldwide, being seen in 135 countries, on 95 airlines, and on its own YouTube channel which has over 9 billion views. Just For Laughs Television is part of the Just For Laughs Group, with growth concentrated on four major focal points: festivals (in Montreal, Toronto, Vancouver and Sydney); television production; live shows (Canadian tour dates for Jerry Seinfeld, Kevin Hart, and more). Its inaugural Montreal Festival, which will celebrate its 36th edition in 2018, is the world’s largest and most prestigious comedy event, welcoming more than 2 million people each summer. The Group has offices in Montreal, Paris, Los Angeles, Toronto and London.

– Darcy Michael headlines the first of three CraveTV original stand-up specials in partnership with Just For Laughs –
– DEBRA DIGIOVANNI: HERE’S THE THING and GRAHAM CHITTENDEN: RELUCTANT ADULT follow later this spring –

February 21, 2018

“…then there’s our generation. One day I’m going to have to sit my grandkids down and be like, well kids, I met your grand-pappy when I was trolling the internet for sex…and he replied first!” – Darcy Michael
TORONTO (February 21, 2018) – Hilariously irreverent homegrown comedy star Darcy Michael headlines a sermon where no topic, including gay parenting and casual drug use, is too taboo in CraveTV’s first commission of original stand-up comedy, DARCY MICHAEL GOES TO CHURCH. The one-hour special, developed in partnership with Just For Laughs, begins streaming on Friday, March 9 and joins CraveTV’s popular Stand-Up Comedy Collection.

As was announced last September, CraveTV, Just For Laughs, and Counterfeit Pictures have partnered to create three original stand-up specials showcasing some of Canada’s funniest comedy talents. Darcy Michael, Debra DiGiovanni, and Graham Chittenden hit the stage at Toronto’s Berkeley Church during last fall’s JFL42 Festival to tape the one-hour specials which mark CraveTV’s debut original stand-up specials.

“We’re proud to have created the first homegrown comedy specials produced solely for streaming audiences in Canada,” said Mike Cosentino, President, Content and Programming, Bell Media. “Kudos to our partners at Just For Laughs for helping us deliver first-rate comedy content to our subscribers.”

An engaging presence on the Canadian comedy scene for over 10 years, Darcy Michael has 10 national televised comedy galas under his belt, and appeared opposite Dave Foley on the CTV comedy series SPUN OUT. A two-time Canadian Comedy Award-nominee, Darcy has also appeared on The Comedy Network’s MATCH GAME and CBC Radio’s The Debaters.

Following DARCY MICHAEL GOES TO CHURCH, DEBRA DIGIOVANNI: HERE’S THE THING streams in April and features the original cat lady and master of fast-talking comedy as she explains her love of otters, male models, and TV shows about murder, GRAHAM CHITTENDEN: RELUCTANT ADULT follows in May and showcases Chittenden as he hilariously laments the responsibilities of adult life.

DARCY MICHAEL GOES TO CHURCH, DEBRA DIGIOVANNI: HERE’S THE THING, and GRAHAM CHITTENDEN: RELUCTANT ADULT are co-produced by Just For Laughs Television and Counterfeit Pictures, in association with Bell Media’s CraveTV. Executive producers are Bruce Hills from Just For Laughs, as well as Dan Bennett, Shane Corkery, and Anton Leo from Counterfeit Pictures. The specials are directed by Shelagh O’Brien. For Bell Media, production executive is Bill Lundy. Sarah Fowlie is Director, Original Production, Comedy, Bell Media. Corrie Coe is Senior Vice-President, Original Programming, Bell Media. Tracey Pearce is President, Distribution and Pay, Bell Media. Mike Cosentino is President, Content and Programming, Bell Media. Randy Lennox is President, Bell Media.

For more information

About CraveTV:Created for TV lovers and devoted to television, CraveTV is Canada’s premium TV streaming service, providing the most robust lineup of superior television content in the country. From TV’s most-acclaimed dramas and beloved comedies to documentaries, music, and factual programming, CraveTV features thousands of hours of premium non-kids TV programming, representing hundreds of unique titles including the entire off-air library and essential past seasons of on-air titles from HBO’s iconic programming catalogue; hundreds of hours of acclaimed SHOWTIME series and specials, which debut on CraveTV day-and-date with SHOWTIME in the U.S.; and new and library content from Starz. CraveTV is available directly to all Canadians with access to the Internet, as well as to customers of Bell Fibe TV, Bell Satellite TV, Bell Aliant FibreOP TV, Bell MTS, Access Communications, Cable Cable, CCAP, Cogeco, Eastlink, Execulink Telecom, Gosfield North, Hay Communications, Mitchell Seaforth Cable TV, Northwestel, NRTC Communications, SaskTel, Shaw, Tbaytel, TELUS Optik TV, Tuckersmith Communications, VMedia, Wightman Telecom, and WTC Communications. Available through traditional set-top boxes, mobile apps on iOS, Android, and Microsoft Windows 8.1 and Xbox One, the web, Apple TV, Chromecast, select Samsung Smart TVs, and Amazon Fire TV. CraveTV is from Bell Media, Canada’s premier multi-media company with more than a decade of leadership delivering Canada’s most-watched and most-acclaimed television programming across the Pay, Specialty, Digital, and Network TV landscapes. For more on CraveTV, visit www.CraveTV.ca.?

About Just For Laughs Television:Just For Laughs Television is one of the world’s leading producers of stand-up comedy and variety programming. JFL’s productions have been seen in Canada on CBC and an array of Bell networks and platforms (The Comedy Network, CTV, CTV2, The Movie Network, HBO Canada, CraveTV and Snackable), and internationally on HBO, FOX, ABC, MTV, Kevin Hart’s LOL Network, TBS, CBC, IFC, W, The CW, RTL, TF1, Comedy Central, Showtime, Hulu, SeeSo, BBC1, BBC America and TEN Australia. Beyond stand-up, the TV franchise Just For Laughs Gags has also become a household name worldwide, being seen in 135 countries, on 95 airlines, and on its own YouTube channel which has over 9 billion views. Just For Laughs Television is part of the Just For Laughs Group, with growth concentrated on four major focal points: festivals (in Montreal, Toronto, Vancouver and Sydney); television production; live shows (Canadian tour dates for Jerry Seinfeld, Kevin Hart, and more). Its inaugural Montreal Festival, which will celebrate its 36th edition in 2018, is the world’s largest and most prestigious comedy event, welcoming more than 2 million people each summer. The Group has offices in Montreal, Paris, Los Angeles, Toronto and London.

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